Vacuum systems designate special pneumatic conveying installations. Generally speaking, in such systems, the transport takes place by applying a pressure differential to a material to be conveyed, or conveying takes place by taking along, in the gas flow caused by the pressure difference, said material to be conveyed. Air is used as the transport medium.
Vacuum systems in aircraft are used to transport waste (feed) from the cabin, i.e., from the toilets and from the galley, into a central collection tank. In this arrangement, the charging material is conveyed to the collection container by way of a pipeline network, wherein negative pressure in the collection container ensures the necessary pressure differential in relation to the cabin pressure.
In this implementation of vacuum systems, deposits build up in the pipe system, where deposits have a negative effect on the transport behaviour. Therefore, the pipeline system has to be cleaned regularly. Up to now, this has involved standard procedures at regular intervals, with such standard procedures essentially comprising a visual inspection of the pipeline system for any deposits.